Bell Out Of Order, Please Knock
by chocolate covered hot chilies
Summary: Canon to AU: She was in. She was really in. And then she wasn't. They couldn't stop arguing. They couldn't get past the fears and tears. They just couldn't and then tragedy struck and they lost it all.


_I am disclaiming any of my own originality in the characters herein from Grey's Anatomy. I am not now nor ever planning on profiting off the work of others by using said characters from Grey's Anatomy. Does this thing even matter cuz if they wanna sue us, they probably have enough money and power behind them to do so and 10 or so words saying please don't sue me isn't going to mean much. I find it more of an admission of guilt instead of plea. Not a sermon, just a thought._

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><p>She was in. She was <em>really <em>in. And then she wasn't. They couldn't stop arguing. They couldn't get past the fears and tears. They just couldn't and then tragedy struck and they lost it all. They were fighting when that truck came out of nowhere. Fighting again and they weren't even together anymore. They always fought but this time it brought the world around them crashing down. Arizona saved Sofia's life the day she was born and again later when the baby's heart broke but there was nothing she could do to save either woman's own broken heart. They fell apart. Far apart. And years later, they couldn't even be in the same room together anymore. They were lost without each other but they couldn't admit it to themselves so of course they couldn't admit it to each other. They were lost.

"You are supposed to be my best friend Mark!" Over the years, Callie had perfected the art of whining to get her way with Mark.

"I am." Mark sighed; he could not believe they were having this argument _again_.

"Then why did you agree to let her take my daughter out again?" Callie closed her eyes hoping to stop any tears that might be forming. That _were _forming. The tears that often were brought about when they discussed _her_.

"Because she loves _our_ little girl and just because her mommy can't be in the same room as her doesn't mean jack in my book. This is between you and her and I'm not- I'm just done Cal. She saved _our _daughters life … twice. I won't keep them apart." Mark could feel the anger boiling to the surface but knew it would not help the situation any; it would only make Callie that more unbearable and that was not something he could deal with at the moment.

"There's more to it than that and you know it. She didn't even want Sofia." Callie needed to keep the fight going even if it would end up in a screaming match. She did not care because it was the only way she could deal with the emotions she could not otherwise sort through.

"No Cal, she didn't want this. All the pain. But she got it anyway and she still stuck around. You cannot even look at her and she is still here. Cut her some slack. Sofia is five, she is not stupid, and she is catching on. I will not let you poison our daughter against Arizona. You wanted me to like her and I do. Don't you dare try to make me choose sides now Callie." Mark all but growled at her as he heard Arizona and Sofia coming down the hallway toward the apartment.

"Behave or go stay in my room," he whispered when he heard them reach the door before he got up to greet them. Callie could be a class-A bitch and nobody wanted to deal with her when that happened.

Callie quickly jumped up before Mark could open the door and took off for higher ground. Her departure had less to do with having to be nice to Arizona and more to do with not being able to look the blonde in the eyes. She could feign anger all she wanted with Mark but she was terrified Arizona would see right through it.

"Daddy!" Sofia squealed when he opened the door.

"Did you have fun with Aunt Z?" Mark picked up his daughter for a kiss; he did not need to turn around to see Callie was out of sight, he already knew it was the case.

"Can I color, Daddy?" Sofia asked, knowing her bedtime was fast approaching but seeing if she could push her limits almost immediately upon returning home anyway.

"Were you good?" He looked toward Arizona for confirmation although he knew Sofia never acted up during her limited time with her Aunt.

"Always!" Arizona smiled warmly, "Sofipops is my Angel, right?" Her smile widened at the little girl even though her heart broke every time Sofia looked up at Arizona with her big, brown-Callie eyes.

"I love you more than all the stars in the sky." Sofia's grin took up her whole face; Arizona was her hero and it was obvious.

The blonde's eyes always flooded with tears at their special moments together. "And I love you more than all the fish in the sea, baby."

Mark, clearly moved, puts his daughter down, knowing he could not say no after that interaction. "Go color munchkin."

"Well," Arizona shifted uncomfortably after seeing Callie's coat on the couch and knowing it meant no extra snuggling with Sofia tonight if her mom was over visiting with Mark.

"I'd ask you in but- - -" Mark's eyes apologized where he knew words were useless.

"No, it's fine. I, uh, I have things I should go do anyway," Arizona's eyes swam with unshed tears as she looked past the tall blond toward the joy of her life. "Good night Sofipops," She hollered into the apartment but the little girl was already too busy with her favorite red crayon to do anything but giggle and wave in response.

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><p>"Good night." Mark watched Arizona make her way back to her own apartment, the home she use to share with Callie all those years before and as usual felt guilty for putting the blonde in the situation that would only cause her to cry herself to sleep. It had been five years and he wondered if things would ever stop being so damn complicated.<p>

"Mommy, who's John Hoppykins?" Sofia was trying hard to prolong the inevitable of sleep.

"I don't know honey, why?" Callie shook her head at her daughter's nightly antics; the name meant nothing to her only that her daughter was playing yet another game to avoid her bedtime.

"Cuz I heard Aunt Z tell Teddy she's going to see him. Is Aunt Z dating John Hoppykins cause Teddy was so happy for her. She said it was a chance of a lifetime." Sofia yawned having no clue of the can of worms she had just opened as the name finally registered in her Mom's mind.

"Teddy said she'd miss Aunt Z. Where's John live?" Sofia closed her eyes, clearly missing the horrified look that passed between her parents.

"Go to sleep baby, I'll see you tomorrow after school." It was all that Callie could squeak out at the realization of the conversation Sofia had overheard between Arizona and Teddy. She leaned down, kissing her already asleep daughter as the tears opened their floodgates and began to fall.

"Mark?" Callie choked on her tears, leaving the room. Mark was already half way into his living room, pacing when Callie came out to join him.

"We don't know anything; let's not jump to conclusions- - -please." He begged quietly as his own emotions were so close to the surface at this developing news.

"Mark?" Callie could not stop the sobs this time as Mark met her halfway, pulling his broken best friend into his arms.

Telling her this was partly her fault, tonight, was of no use and not fair even if he was angry at her for her part in this. In five years time, he had grown to love Arizona as his sister and who the hell would have thought that would ever happen? He had held her when she cried over her break up with Callie. When neither had somebody all those late nights when they felt like their world was ending, they had each other. Arizona was his support and he, hers. The first few nights when he finally had Sofia alone, he was so terrified something would go wrong, that he would screw it up and Arizona was there for him every step of the way. She was just as scared but they got through it together. Callie never knew. Callie could never know.

"Shh- - -" He whispered pulling her in even closer as the demons she had been hiding from all these years, finally broke through.

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><p>"Blondie!" Mark stood and watched from his doorway as Arizona was leaving her own the next morning.<p>

"Jesus Mark, what did I do?" Arizona knew very well he only called her that now in anger or disappointment and either way she did not want to be responsible for either.

"Johns Hopkins, really? Baltimore, Maryland?" He cut straight to the point seeing no point in pussyfooting around this.

"What?" Arizona momentarily paused as she realized that the only way Mark could know was if Sofia had overheard. "She- - -"

"Arizona- - - really?" Mark snapped bringing her quickly back to reality.

"Mark please." Arizona choked on her emotions. "How many dreams do I have to give up for her? When am I allowed to be happy? I've- - - I've been punished long enough. Staying here- - -I can't breathe anymore. I can't breathe anymore, Mark." Arizona's rambling turned into sobs erupting hard and fast until Mark finally stepped out of his door just in time to catch her before she crumbled under the weight of devastation.

Callie stood hiding behind Mark's door, frozen at what she was witnessing. What she had purposely overheard. Arizona seemed fine. She seemed better than fine. After the months of arguing that followed her return from Africa, Arizona had almost seemed relieved at the demise of their relationship prior to Sofia's birth. She had always been strong and Callie had absolutely no clue just how wrong she had been.

"When do you leave?" Mark was trying to be supportive.

"It's just an interview, I go next week. I don't even know if I'll get it," Arizona pulled away, wiping at her tear-stained cheeks.

"I'll miss you." He had no doubts.

"I'll miss you too and … and Sofia." She could barely whisper. "Maybe you two could … no, never mind. I'm going to be late." Arizona pulled herself quickly together, back into the façade she has been holding together for so long.

"We'll visit."

"You won't be- - - you don't need to. _Nobody _needs a reminder once I'm gone," Arizona chose her words carefully.

"You saved my daughter's life … twice. We are not going anywhere. You're stuck with us." Mark only reinforced how much life has changed. When Arizona came back from Africa, he wanted nothing to do with her and now they were almost inseparable.

"Don't tell Callie- - - please." Arizona begged; it was not something she could face yet.

"You know she'll find out." Mark knew very well that Callie had snuck over to the door early in the conversation and probably had overheard everything.

"That's just another nail in my coffin," Arizona sighed as Mark can only nod in agreement.

"I'm not bailing this time Mark. I need air. I need sunshine. I don't have a chance here. I can't love her _here_, anymore. I need to go." Arizona smiled weakly trying to give conviction to her speech. Mark sighed; he knew she needed to go even if it would be the hardest thing for him to ever do, let her go.

Walking back through the door, he saw the tears now staining Callie's cheeks. "Don't." He held up his hand stopping her before she could start. "I'm having a really hard time seeing who the monster is supposed to be here Callie. I have to go get Sofia ready." For the first time in their history, Mark walked away from his best friend; he had to or risk actually speaking his mind.

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><p>Three days later and 19 hours left in a full two-day shift, Callie walked past an on-call room hearing the most heart wrenching sobs. Immediately recognizing them; knowing those sobs all too well, they stopped her dead in her tracks. She had heard Arizona lost two kids back to back, earlier in the day, but she also knew she did not want to care. Being 3 A.M., nobody else was around for her to grab to buffer the situation any. Mark was at home with Sofia and the closest nurses' station was a ghost town, probably why Arizona chose this location. Callie did not want to stay but she bring could not leave either; she just could not walk away.<p>

"Well if it isn't the Tin-man," Cristina walked up almost silently behind Callie after observing the very obvious fight she was having with herself.

"What?" Callie jumped sky-high, clearly startled at Cristina's presence.

"You've been standing there for over five minutes, just go comfort her." Cristina motioned toward the crying spilling out of the room.

"You're here now, you can do it," Callie started to back away seeing the other woman as her out.

"And part Cowardly Lion too, well well. Callie, pretend I am the wizard and the wizard does not hug it out. Plus I'm about to go give another tin-man a new heart so I have no time tonight," Cristina started to walk away but Callie remained um-moved, frozen still in her spot.

"Look Callie, I'm not asking you to find Dorothy's yellow brick road, just go keep the tornado winds at bay." Cristina sighed; her friend was starting to really annoy her. She did not understand how Callie could love Arizona so much and hate her at the same time but there was no winning with either of those two and she had learned that long ago.

"What's with you and the Oz crap?" Callie was somewhat amused at Cristina, just not the situation.

"The baby likes when Owen reads it," Cristina's hand moved protectively over her baby bump. "I might listen or something," She did not wait for a response this time and waddled off.

Callie sighed and slowly opened the door. Immediately she saw Arizona was curled up in the fetal position with her back to the door but now her sobs were reaching hysterical levels. Not knowing what to fully do, Callie simply crawled into bed occupied by Arizona and held tight to holds her. Kissing the back of her head while whispering soothing words of comfort and rocking her ever so slightly put Arizona into a deep sleep.

The last thing Arizona remembered hearing was Callie's soothing voice and the feel of her strong arms wrapped protectively around her. Unable to fight it off, knowing it probably was not a good idea but not caring, she let sleep win but when Arizona woke the next morning, she was all alone. It took her a bit of wondering if it was all just a dream until she rolled over and could faintly smell Callie on the pillow, which only succeeded in bringing her back to tears.

For days, Callie tried to tiptoe around Cristina in fear of another Arizona conversation. The heart surgeon was the only one to ever push her buttons where the blonde was concerned and she had succeeded in her avoidance mission until now.

"I'm not going to rat you out, everybody will still think you're the heartless tin-man, don't worry." Cristina once again came up behind her, whispering even though they were the only two at the nurse's station.

"Am I really so hated?" Callie knew the hospital chose sides years ago.

"Do you really expect people to hate the cheery peds surgeon? Well, once upon a time cheery anyway." Cristina's question only angered the Latina.

"She left me!" Callie yelled, reminding her ex-roommate of what she already knew.

"You don't have to remind me Cal, I was there. Part of me knows you are right but the other part sees Arizona every day. Really _sees _her. You took the roll out of her step; Cal. Everybody else here sees that too. You got your everything, your happy family, and Arizona… she got lost in it all. Nobody blames you; they just think you lost your heart in that accident. Hell, maybe I screwed up and clipped something wrong." Cristina sighed, being the tin-man was no fun, and she knew this from personal experience. Seeing a fight between her and her friend was imminent she knew leaving was her only option or say something she really did not mean as her hormones had even more control over her tongue than usual.

"I didn't get everything," Callie mumbled to herself as she watched Cristina waddled off.

* * *

><p>It had been a long day turned long night and Callie finally had her daughter in bed. She knew when she picked up the young girl from her dad's house that she had spent the afternoon with Arizona. The fact that she was hyped up on sugar only confirmed that for her.<p>

"What's that?" Callie asked her daughter who was gripping something tight in her hand as she tucked her into bed.

"Aunt Z gave it to me." The child beamed with pride over her gift. "She says it holds her heart. She says when I miss her to hold it tight and I won't miss her so much." Sofia opened her hand to show Callie the necklace. The very same necklace that hung around her own neck, hidden beneath her clothing every-single-day. It was the same necklace they had bought their first Valentine's Day together and Callie could not stop herself from grasping her own in her hand at the memory.

"Mommy?" Sofia called out three times before bringing Callie back to reality.

"Yes baby?" Callie pasted a smile on her face to hide the tears.

"I don't want Aunt Z to leave. She told Teddy she has to cause her heart is broked but if you could get Aunt Stina or Teddy to fix it, maybe she can stay. Aunt Stina is the bestest heart doctor, she told me. She fixed your heart mommy. Member? Please?" Tears pooled in her daughters eyes breaking Callie's heart even more. Sofia was just an innocent victim and it was her fault her daughter was heart broken.

"Sofia, I- - - I can't." Callie could whisper.

"Please mommy, fix her heart." Sofia begged as the tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Oh baby, I'm sorry." Callie gathered her daughter in her arms, pulling them both down onto the bed where they cried themselves to sleep.

The next morning Arizona grabbed her small bag to head to the airport. Gathering all her willpower, she pulled shut her door and headed for the stairs, which for her was a safer bet than chancing the elevator. The elevator she had not taken in over five years for fear of being stuck in it with the wrong person. They had history in elevators and Arizona was not sure it would not repeat itself and not for the better. The stairs today were a bad idea as it was too late before she saw Callie sitting at the bottom. It was too late to turn back so Arizona did was she did best and pasted on her fake smile with hopes that Callie would just let her pass by unnoticed.

"Arizona- - -" Callie barely whispered the name but it echoed through the blonde's head loud and clear.

She froze mid-step at the first time in five years she heard her name cross from those lips. Trying her best to remain calm, she turned toward the brunette. "Oh Calliope, I don't think Mark's home." Arizona continued with her fake smile but it was painfully obvious that her cheeks did not reach her eyes anymore; her dimples did not even make an appearance.

"I know, he's at my place with Sofia." Callie searched Arizona's face seeing no glint in her eyes, just raw sadness behind her smile and felt guilty for being responsible for putting it there.

"Oh, well- - - okay." Arizona stuttered and stammered while shifting on her feet. If Callie was not here for Mark, she could only be here for one thing and that meant her.

"Sofia uh- - - she wanted you to have this. So you wouldn't miss her so much." Callie handed over a framed photograph of Arizona and Sofia. The same photo Callie had a copy of hidden deep within her own wallet.

Tears spring to Arizona's eyes; there was nothing she could do to stop them. "Thank- - - thank you. Tell her thank you." Arizona turned to leave, embarrassed for showing any emotion and needing a quick exit now.

"Arizona- - - I don't- - - I- - - good luck out there." Callie conceded to the fact that was all she could say, the tears were coming too fast for her to risk Arizona turning back around.

"Thank you, Calliope," Arizona whispered to hide her own tears. She was unable to turn back but unable to move forward too. _Always _unable to move forward.

"Arizona- - -" Callie's voice broke; she wanted to stop her, to ask her to stay but also knew she was not being fair. She had nothing to give Arizona but pain but before the blonde could respond, Callie's phone cut through the silence with a shrill ring. Saved by the bell.

"Mark? Slow down. - - -What? When? - - -How long? Call the police, I'm coming." Callie's voice rose with each word into a hysterical panic garnering Arizona's full attention.

"What's wrong?" Arizona read the frightened look on her ex's face, watching her pale in shock.

"Sofia's - - - she's gone. Mark got out of the shower and she was just gone." Callie started crying as she held tight to the banister trying to calm herself.

"I'll drive." Arizona grabbed for Callie's purse on the stairs, pulling her up with it and out toward her car without a fight. The short drive to Callie's was in silence with both women gripping the other's hand for dear life. A million scenarios ran through their minds and they were terrified.

By the time they reached the house, their worst fears have already camped out playing on repeat in their heads. As Callie busts through the door with Arizona in tow, Mark's phone rings causing all three hearts to stop beating at once.

"Mark, your daughter showed up at the hospital, _alone_, looking for me. I think we've got a problem." Cristina's worried voice rang out over the speakerphone feature of Mark's cell bringing them all sighs of relief.

"We're coming. Just- - - just keep her there." Callie yelled already on her way back out the door without waiting for the other two.

"I just wanted to fix your heart," Sofia sobbed while attached like glue to Arizona's body while Mark and Cristina take a quiet exit of the on-call room they had all been occupying since reuniting with the young runaway. It was more than obvious that Callie and Arizona needed to fix and needed to do so with Sofia, alone. Mark was just relieved that his daughter was safe, the rest could wait.

"Oh baby!" Arizona held tight to the little girl, her heart was still in her throat at the little disappearing act she had just performed.

"Aunt Stina and I could fix it. We could." Sofia innocently holds up her toy doctor bag having no clue to the implications of her words. "Aunt Stina says mommy's the only one who can fix it but mommy's a bone doctor so Aunt Stina and I will. Please Aunt Z!" Sofia sobs into Arizona's shoulder as the blonde does her own fair share of shedding tears.

"Listen to me baby," Pulling Sofia back to look at her. "You are one of the only two reasons my heart still beats. I love you to death, Sofipops. And my heart will be fine but only if you promise never to do that again. You scared us half to death. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you" Arizona hugged tight to the little girl in her lap afraid to let go ever again.

"I'm sorry." The sniffles were just as heart breaking coming from Sofia as were her sobs. Being the cause of such emotions from the little girl was causing a fury of pain in both adults present in the room.

"Apologize to Daddy, he might never take another shower ever again." Arizona finally could let herself laugh. "In that case, apologize to everybody else too." Both women chuckled, Callie finally breaking her silence from her spot by the door where she stood witnessing the events play out before her eyes.

"Mommy?" Sofia looked up at her mother, finally remembering her presence in the room now too.

"Yes Mija?" Callie smiled, just happy her daughter was safe. Oh, she would be punished for it for sure but right now that could wait.

"Is Aunt Stina right? Can you fix Aunt Z's heart please? Maybe if you love her again, she'll stay." Sofia's innocence shattered what was left of Callie's barely intact heart.

"Where'd- - - uh- - - where'd you heart that Mija?" Callie whispers, her own heart stopping.

"Daddy. He tells me stories about two beautiful princesses that met in a dirty dungeon. He says how they fell deep in love but evil demons inside themselves now keep them far apart. He always says they look like you and Aunt Z but only happy. I know it is you guys. I know it. Aunt Stina even told me so. She told me. Please fix her heart mommy." The young girl begged having absolutely no clue what she had said or started here by just wanting to help.

"Jesus Christ!" Callie sighed.

"Awwwww mommy!" Sofia scolded her mother.

"Baby, Sofia- - - go see daddy for me, Mija- - - please." Callie's request was quickly granted as Sofia climbed off of Arizona after stealing one last kiss from her.

"I love you Sofipops!" Arizona whispered as she watched the little girl walk away.

With the click of the door, Arizona's resolve broke. "This is all my fault, Calliope. I'm so sorry." She started sobbing.

"No Arizona, this stopped being your fault a long time ago." Callie started to pace, shoving her hands in her pockets. It was safe. A lot safer than taking the broken woman in her arms which is all she wanted to do.

"I'm sorry." Callie's whisper was barely heard over Arizona's own tears.

"She could have gotten hurt- - - or- - - or worse. I'm so sorry." Arizona could not stop herself from apologizing. This was all _her _fault.

"Arizona STOP!" Callie immediately feels sorry for yelling but knew it was the only way to get through to the almost hysterical blonde.

"This is _not _your fault. You did not make this mess. I did. You were not the stubborn jackass here. I was. You did not turn your back on us. I did. So please stop crying!" Callie begged giving away much more information than she intended.

Neither said anything for a few minutes, fear was now playing havoc on both women's confidence. They were scared of the silence. Scared of the words.

"I'm sorry you missed your flight." Callie finally broke down, cutting through the silence with the simplest thing she could think of.

"It doesn't even matter right anymore." Arizona wiped at the silent tears still falling. Missing stupid flight was nothing; she almost lost the little girl she thought of as her own.

"I'm sorry." Echoed off Callie's tongue again.

"Callie, it's fine. Really- - - " Arizona interjected, the flight was _nothing _especially if she did not have Sofia.

"No Arizona, I'm sorry. For everything." Callie took a deep breath hoping somewhere in there she found the confidence to continue. " I'm sorry for making the past five years of your life a living hell. For punishing you. For not being there for you. For not loving you. For being jealous of you and Sofia." Callie trailed off, the truth of everything had been weighing her down for years.

"Why- - - why were you jealous of me and Sofia?" Arizona was astonished at everything Callie was saying; it was more than she had said in over five years. It is more than she said when Arizona walked away.

"Because Arizona, Sofia got to love you. She got to love you while her mom was too afraid to." Callie answered honestly for the first time in five years and she would never felt better. "I wasted five years of our life because I was scared. Five years I will never get back. I pushed you away for five years and now you are finally _really _leaving. You're not going to be there and Sofia- - - she'll always have you but I- - - I'll" Callie broke down in sobs bringing Arizona quickly to her side.

"Calliope, stop. I'm here. It's okay. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere." Arizona held tight to the woman she loved with every fiber of her thread. Five years and that is all she needed; all she had been waiting for.

At least an hour has passed since the tears began and Arizona had managed to pull Callie down onto the bunk bed and hold her tight while they continued to fall. As the silence finally screams through the room, Arizona is unsure whether Callie's despair turned into sleep or if it was that neither woman could bring themselves to let go again.

"I can't ask you to give up another dream for me." Callie's voice raspy from the violent tears once again broke through the silence.

"Oh Calliope," Arizona kissed her forehead, pulling the face buried in her chest up to look in her eyes. "How much longer is it going to take for you to realize that _you're _my dream? _You're _my everything?" Arizona smiled genuinely for the first time in as long as Callie could remember.

"Even now? Still? After- - - everything? How can I still be your dream?" Callie continued to quietly cry, unable to understand why after all this time, after every horrible thing she did, why Arizona would still love her.

"You never stopped being my dream. This was just my way out. This was me giving you back your life, Calliope. But you, you never stopped being my dream." Arizona's eyes glassy from the tears she had yet to shed "I love you Calliope, I always will but I can't stay and be a constant reminder for you anymore. I can't stay and watch you hate me so much anymore. This job, it's far from my dream. But for once, I'm giving you back your dream. I've invaded your family long enough." Arizona sighed, hating that it wasn't her family. She walked away, she knew she lost her chance to make them her family but it didn't stop her from wishing things were different. She knew she'd broken Callie the last time and she was never allowed to forget it.

"We're your family too, Arizona. We've always been. I know how you use to camp out on Mark's couch after Sofia was released from the hospital. How you were up days on end without sleep worrying over her. How every time she's with Mark you kiss her goodnight, no matter what time you get home. From the moment she could talk, she always asked why you didn't come over to kiss away the monsters here too. I knew. I've always known. I didn't say anything because I was the monster and I was terrified Sofia would figure it out. We're your family too. I know you didn't ask for us but you stayed. Maybe out of obligation at first, I don't know but you stayed. I'm the one that walked away and I'm so sorry." Callie searched Arizona's face for answers, for anything yet all she saw was a war waging in Arizona's eyes. A war she'd made and was afraid she was going to lose.

"Arizona Robbins, I don't hate you. I've never hated you. Okay, maybe when you took over my role with Mark but only because I was jealous. You two were there, together for Sofia's first words, and I wanted nothing more than it to be us. You and me. Not you and Mark. I never stopped loving you and I'm so sorry I couldn't tell you. I'm sorry I was afraid to let you back in. To forgive you." Callie watched the tears freely falling now from Arizona's eyes, taking her hand, and gently wiping them away.

"Ask me to stay Calliope," Arizona choked on the words, pure fear evident in her eyes.

Callie took another deep breath, letting it out before she continued. "Stay Arizona. Stay for Mark and Sofia, they need you. Stay for- - - for me. I can't lose you again. _I need you_." Callie's plea was so genuine, the look in her eyes so true that Arizona could only capture the Latina's mouth with her own. Five years of longing and pain, of tears and heartache slowly beginning to finally melt away.

"I love you Arizona." Callie broke away from the kiss, finally saying the words she needed to hear just as much as Arizona.

"I love you too Calliope."

Hours had passed before they left the room. Cristina appeared to be charting while Mark was holding tight his sleeping daughter on his hip. The two adults were keeping each other engaged in conversation, trying to ignore the fact that the women had finally surfaced so it didn't look like they'd been waiting all along. Both Callie and Arizona looked little worse for wear but better for it as they held tight to each other.

"Well it looks like the Tin-man has a heart after all," Cristina dares to look Callie in the eyes while hiding her relief in sarcasm.

Before Callie can retort, her daughter breaks the tension. "Did you fix Aunt Z's heart mommy?"

"Yes baby, she did." Arizona smiled at the little brunette returning the gesture with gusto from her Daddy's arms.

"Do the princesses finally get to live happily ever after now daddy?" Sofia shakes off her slumber with her own relief to the news.

"Yeah kid, they finally get a happy ending," Cristina couldn't help but answer for the rest of them. She'd been promising her Goddaughter a happy ending for years and she finally gets it.

"No more demons!" Mark sighs through his own happiness. It wasn't over but they'd already beaten half the battle of finding each other again.

"Let's go home." Callie squeezed the hand tight in her own letting the woman she loved know she was included in that.

"Let's." Arizona's falling tears no longer so empty and painful but full of hope and love.

They make it halfway down the hall before Cristina yells after them. "The roll is back in your step Dr. Robbins and it's about time- - - It's about damn time."


End file.
